Improved device for lowering boats



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIGE.

HENRY GOULDING, (')F DEDHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVED DEVICE FOR LOWERING BOATS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 58,810, dated October 16, 1866.

To all fathom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY GoULDING, of Dedham, in the county ot' Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Device for Lowering Boats; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which` Figure 1 represents a plan or top view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same, taken on a plane indicated by the line x Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section taken on a plane indicated by the line y y, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

This invention relates to an apparatus which, when attached to the fore and aft ends of a boat, will enable it to be hoisted up and lowered down the side of a ship, and to be let into the water with both its ends at the same time, thus avoiding the capsizing ofthe boat, and all the frequent accidents which occur when one end of the, boat is let into water while the other is still held up.

The improvement consists- First, in attaching to the fore and aft ends of a boat two small chains, one end of each being fast to the boat, while the other is held down as long as the boat is being lowered or hoisted up by a system of levers and hooks or studs, but may be instantly disengaged when the boat is to be let into the water. The chains are long enough to allow the tackle-blocks ot' the hoisting apparatus to be hooked on.

Second, in the arrangement of the levers and hooks by which the chain is held down, the construction of the same being such that the chain cannot be held by any one of the devices alone, but only by their being brought in contact with each other, so that the chain will be disengaged as soon as they are separated, and the boat will then drop into the water.

Third, in the arrangement of the device by which the aforesaid levers are disconnected from the hooks, thus releasing the chain, this device consisting of a lever pivoted to the side ofthe boat, to which two ropes or chains are attached, 011e above and one below the pivoting-point, these ropes leading each to one of the levers, so that by turning the lever the ropes will pull on the levers and simultaneously disengage both the chains, thus dropping the boat into the water.

To cit-her end ot' the boat A is attached, by means of screws or bolts or similar devices, a metal plate, a, upon which the hook or stud b is secured. This hook or stud is so constructed that it will not hold the end of the small chain c, its lower side slanting upward, as seen in Fig. 3. The chain will only be held by the hook when the lever d, which is pivoted at c to the plate a, is made to touch the end of the hook or stud b, in the manner shown in Fig. 1. The chain c is then held down at both its ends, one held between the hook b and lever d, and the other by the staple j', which is firmly secured to the boat. The chains c should be very short, so as to allow the boat to be lowered almost to the surface of the water, when they are disengaged from the hook b and make the boat drop.

The tackle-blocks of the hoisting apparatus are hooked into the chains, but not through any otl the links, so that the chains will be pulled through themv when the boat drops into the water.

- To the long arm of the levers d are attached the chains g, which are secured with their other ends to the lever h. This lever is pivoted to the side of the boat, as seen in Fig. 2, the chains g being attached to it, one above and one below the pivoting-point. As soon as the lever h is raised up it will, by means of the chains g, pull thelevers d away from the hooks b, and the chains c will both become disengaged at the same time, thus dropping the boat into the water.

The lever 7i may be held in the position shown in Fig. 2 by means ot' a pin or any other device. i

By this arrangement boats may instantly be lowered into the water, both their ends coming down at the same time, thus overcoming the difficulties hitherto experienced and the accidents arising from letting one end ofthe boat into the water prior to the other.

2 5eme It is a very simple and cheap device, which The device for the purpose speeiied, con# can be attached to all boats of whatever size sisting of the stud b, lever d, Chain c, chain g,

and shape, and enables the boat to be hoisted and pivoted lever h, arranged and operating up to all ships 0r Cranes she may be alongsubstantially as described side of. HENRY GOULDING. Y Having' thns'descrihed my invention, what Witnesses:

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters C. G. CHURCHILL,

Patent', is- HORATIO CLARKE. 

